Old Question, New Slant For First Time In A Decade, Indians Open Defense Of Nwl Title
The question the past eight Junes has been whether the Spokane Indians are talented enough to win the Northwest League baseball championship.
There’s a different twist to the question this June. For the first time since June 1991, the issue is whether the Indians are talented enough to repeat as NWL champions.
Spokane finished 44-32 last season, 47-32 if one counts the sweep of Portland in the league’s best-of-5 playoffs.
The Indians actually had better records in 1998 and ‘99, but they hadn’t qualified for the postseason since their ‘90 championship season.
The odds are against any NWL champ repeating. The NWL has had five different champions since 1995, which is the nature of short-season Class A baseball.
The 76-game season doesn’t always uncover the best players because the name of the game is to nurture, not overuse, talent. Jose Santiago, for example, pitched just 48 innings for the ‘95 Indians, but made the big leagues with Kansas City by ‘97.
It would be foolhardy to predict whether the 2000 Indians roster contains any future major leaguers. But some comparisons can be ventured between the ‘99 league kingpins and the team that opens its season at 7:05 tonight at Avista Stadium against Eugene.
Most obvious difference is in draft status. Last season’s Indians had 10 players selected in the first 10 rounds of the ‘99 amateur draft, including six pitchers.
Fifth-rounder Zach McClellan and 10th-rounder Jason Fingers, both pitchers, are the only players on the current roster selected in the top 10 rounds of the June 5-7 draft.
“It doesn’t take any genius to know that with the kids we had last year … that all the pieces could fall into place,” said second-year Indians pitching coach Randy Smith. “The biggest problem we have now is to find out who can do what.”
The ‘99 club finished the season with a 31-man roster. Just nine of those players had professional experience and seven were non-drafted free agents.
The 2000 Indians, with 29 players on the roster, have 11 players with pro experience and 13 who signed as free agents.
Spokane started last season 0-3 and 3-8. The Indians languished in last place until they tied a team NWL record with a 12-game winning streak that began in mid-July.
Pitcher Kyle Turner, who started this season in Charleston (W.V.), is the only returner who witnessed the long streak. Spokane’s other returner, Ben Cordova, was a late-season addition.
“This is one of my favorite places to play,” Turner said. “Charleston is a little higher level, but here we have more fans and more fun.”
The ‘99 Indians finished second in league batting, third in runs and third in home runs. The new team didn’t show as much punch during early minicamp batting practice.
“We have hitters who hit the ball where it’s pitched, which is very good,” said new Indians manager Tom Poquette. “We may have linedrive type hitters.”
“I don’t know if there’s too much power on this team, but you never know because homers are accidents,” Cordova said. “I could have 15 accidents or I could have two.”
Good or bad, Spokane supports its team. The Indians have set attendance records for average fans per game for six consecutive seasons.